Device for retaining overshoes on shoes



(No Model.)

L. J. WEATHERWAX. DEVICE FOR RETAINING OVERSHOES ON SHOES.

N0. 536,244. Patented Mar. 26,1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEON J. WEATHERWAX, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF, AND NELSON D. EDMONDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR RETAINING OVERSHO ES ON'SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 536,244, dated March 26, 1895.

Application filed January 16, 1894. Serial No. 497,114. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEON J. WEATHERWAX,

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements iniDevices for Retaining Overshoes on Shoes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a portion of a shoe and an ordinary india rubber overshoe, the latter having secured to it my improved device for assisting in retaining the overshoe upon the shoe. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the device applied to an overshoe; and Fig. 3 is a top or plan view of the device as it appears before being attached to an overshoe.

This invention relates to devices for assisting in retaining the ordinary india rubber overshoe, or an overshoe of other material, upon a shoe.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device that can be cheaply and easily manufactured and readily applied, and which will after being applied retain the overshoe firmly upon the shoe of the wearer, and which can also be adjusted, without removal, to adapt the rubber overshoeto heelsofvarying widths. These objects I accomplish as illustrated in the drawings and as hereinafter more specifi cally described.

That which I regard as new will be pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,A represents an ordinary overshoe, of india rubber or other material, and A an ordinary shoe.

B represents a spiral coil of spring wire, the ends of such spirally coiled wire being extended to form arms I) b. As shown in Fig. 3, these arms I) b are bent toward each other, so that when the arms are spread apart the effect will be to bow out or curve the coil B, as shown in Fig. 2, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

As shown, the device is secured to the sole of the heel portion of the overshoe by rivets c, the arms I) b being coiled into loops at their ends to receive such rivets. It is apparent,

however, that the device may be secured in any other suitable manner than by these rivets. When secured in position the arms b b are sprung apart, as shown in Fig. 2, giving to the coil B the curved or bowed shape before referred to. The co'l, as shown, is in the forward. part of the hee portion of theovershoe, so that as the foot of the wearer is pushed into the overshoe the breast or forward part of the heel of the shoe A will come in contact with the coil B, and push such coil slightly forward as the heel of the shoe settles into place. By having the coil rounded or bowed a greater pressure will be exerted by it against the heel of the shoe, and by reason of such pressure, and in connection with the pressure caused at the upper rear portion of the overshoe against the shoe, the overshoe will be held firmly in position.

d (1 represent loops formed in the arms I) b, and are for the purpose of allowing such arms to be lengthened or shortened by opening or contracting such loops with the fingers, so

that the coil B may be pushed farther away or drawn closerin to accommodate the size of heel on the shoe.

By the use of my device overshoes may be wornwithout danger of slipping off or slipping up and down on the foot, and at the same time be of sufficient size to avoid pressing the "foot uncomfortably at any point. An additional adva'ntage is that the shoe is in no Wise disfigured or injured by the use of my device, as the main pressure exerted is against the forward side of the heel.

This device is designed to be attached to overshoes at the factory where such overshoes are made, but it can with little trouble be attached properly at any retail shoe shop.

That which' I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A 1. The combination with an overshoe, of a curved or bowed coil of spring material secured to the heel of the overshoe in position to engage the breast of the shoe-heel inserted into the overshoe, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an overshoe, of a coil of spring material having lengthwise extensible and contractible arms secured to the inside of the heel of the overshoe with the provided with loops for lengthening or short- ,coil in position to engage the breast of the ening said arms, substantially as and for the shoe-heelinserted into said 0versl1oe,substanpurposes described.

tially as described. LEON J. WEATHERWAX. 5 3. The combination with an overshoe of a Witnesses; coil of spring material having arms secured W. A. CHAPEL,

to the inside of the heel of the overshoe and M. W. STEWART. 

